How is it that my local comic shop, one in a chain of two or three local stores, can receive cases of JLU direct from Mattel? These are Blue Devil cases, friends. They had at least seven Blue Devil figures there. The packouts seemed to be very collector friendly, with plenty of Huntress and Shade figs, and even an Orion or two. The case is called "Justice League Unlimited DC Superheroes Figures Assortment" , case/wave number J2016-999K.

This same store has a ton of the Battle League two packs, and is the only place where I've seen the little metal JLU two packs. Not to mention the latest wave of The Batman with Hawkman and Hal Jordan.

Why can't Target and the other big name retailers have this kind of access to Mattel's product? Or, for that matter, why can't online retailers get a hold of this stuff? Weren't they told by Mattel that their orders would be cancelled because of Big Retail wanting all of the existing stock(or something like that)? What gives here?

I'd like to know why too!

Very good question! Wish I knew the answer.

Maybe we can re-post this question in the ASK MATTEL thread... Hopefully THEY can get our answers...

Done!

Have you asked your comic shop? Tehy can probably better answer this question. Perhaps they have an account with Mattel, or they go through a distributor that carries Mattel product.

That is more than likely the case. Many smaller stores have direct accounts with mattel.

This COULD be the end result of something Boy Wonder of Mattel was working on a while back, case assortments that were more 'collector friendly' for places like comic shops. My guess is they came thru Diamond, the comic distributor. This was a ways back that he and I discussed this, and we knew it would take a while, if ever to happen, so no advance mention. I'm glad to see that it did.

Yes, this comic shop does have a direct line to Mattel. I was told as much. It's just that you'd think that a major retailer would be able to get this stuff easier by comparison.

If your local show can get 7 cases, then anyone with a tax ID number should be able to get a line directly to Mattel.

I'd like to know more about that, since I could order cases myself.

Peace,

Chip

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I think my comic book shop had to make a fairly substantial intitial order to become a retail partner with mattel. After that they could make orders as they pleased. The mattel retailer site is www.mattelpartners.com if you would like to check it out for yourself.

cj

How do you know they just aren't scalping? Mine is in the exact same shopping center as a TRU, and it's got all the new Batman figs like Clayface, Nightwing, Catwoman for nearly $40. They also had THREE Grodd packs and the Targets I've been to had none, and Blue Devils, Sand packs, Stargirl packs, Purple vig ones.

Maybe they DO get cases, but I thought Grodd was a Target exclusive...

If Mattel is similar to Hasbro for ordering, my local comic shop said they have to order at least $5000 a year to keep an account with Hasbro - and this was years ago when they told me this, so the amount could be higher now.

Sounds like a similar case to the one mervyns has been getting. the one i saw had 4 blue devils, 2 shade , 2 huntress, 2 zatanna that i saw.

My LCS has been getting a bunch of the older waves yellow cards and even the "story packs". I forgot to ask them how they get them. I will try to find out next time I am over there. They do have a much higher markup on the new figs than Targ or TRU (8 bucks for a single), but the markup seems fair on some of the older figs.